1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a tool holder for use on manual and computer numerical controlled lathes, and particularly for a universal tool holder to retain and use in a lathe, and to use on lathes milling holders of various sizes intended for use on CNC mills.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lathe tooling currently available requires time to be expended in changing from one size tool or drill to another. In particular, lathe tooling requires a particular bushing for each size tool or drill, thus requiring a number of different size bushings and added cost to fulfill manufacturing needs. Even with the correct bushing size, installation can still be time-consuming and potentially improper. Currently tooling is locked in place with side-mounted set screws, which is prone to tilting the cutting edge off its true center-line. Thus, maintaining true centerline during assembly can be problematic and time consuming. Compounding this problem, the tolerances between multiple components can cause deflection of the cutting edge during assembly, causing excessive tool wear and tolerance issue. Additionally, when a small hole or inner diameter is to be machined within a cavity, the available tool or drill may be short, requiring either a longer tool or use of the existing tool beyond the manufacturer's specification, causing excessive tool wear and creating tolerance issues. These problems are exacerbated by the use of at least two standard milling holders, generally referred to a CAT and BT style milling holders, and by the variety of milling holders, differing in characteristics such as size and length.
Additionally, machine shops typically utilize mills and lathes, which each may utilize its own tooling. Often the tooling for a milling machine cannot be easily used on the lathe. This can easily result in a large number of tooling pieces, a number which could be reduced if some of the milling tools could be used on the lathe.
The need therefore exists for an adapter which can be mounted on a lathe, which permits quick exchange of tools, and which ensures the centerline of the tool during installation. Additionally, there exists a need to provide an adapter that can be mounted on a lathe that accepts a variety of sizes of tools, including tools intended for use on mills and on lathes, regardless of the style of milling holder.